Limewashing/Painting doors

[Jellyfire]

Nearly four years down the line on our cottage, and I've nearly, almost, partially, completed the first room I've been working on. Repairs, electrics, floor, stripping and lime plastering is all completed so its just the limewashing and painting left to do now. Its a 16th Cent cottage, Oak beams, brick ingelnook etc, the walls will be burnt sienna lime wash and its all a bit rustic looking, but Im a bit up in the air as to what to do with the woodwork. Ive stripped some of the wood back and its a real hotchpotch of old and new, none of it really matches. Apart from doors and window, there is a staircase with t&G board and a cupboard.

My dilemma is I'm just not sure painting all the woodwork in emulsion is really going to sit that comfortably with the more earthy feel of the rest of the room. I've considered limewashing, but would this just give me that kind of 'limed oak' grainy look you get in seaside gift shops, and would it just rub off on a door?

Is there a more natural looking paint that would work on several different woods. Has anyone used Earthborn Claypoint or Holkhams Linseed paint on interior woodwork?

Any other suggestions gratefully accepted!

 

[JoceAndChris]

Oh, I'd paint the lot. It'll look lovely when it's done. Linseed oil paint is lovely but slow. It needs not to go on top of other modern paints. Would that give you a lot of stripping to do?

Annie Sloan does a nice chalky paint for woodwork, and the usual heritage ones - FnB, Little Greene, National Trust, have nice colours. I wouldn't put bright white with burnt sienna - I'd use something towards an oatmeal colour. Just my opinion of course.

 

[JoceAndChris]

By the way, I like your pace! same as ours.

No experience of lime washing wood, I think it looks pretty but might be better on those out of reach areas.

 

[Jellyfire]

Thanks Joce, the chalk paint looks interesting, have you tried it at all? Not sure if it might look a bit like a stage set, or if that's just the usage on pics on the website which are very decorative. I like the idea of a chalky finish though. It's the uniformity of normal paint I'm worried may look a bit too crisp for the rest of the very uncrisp room.
Stripping the wood is easy, have done one door and frame which came off very easily, so could probably do the other within a few short years. The wood underneath jars with the oak though, as was originally just going to wax them.

Don't worry, there will be no bright white, I'm thinking along the same lines and picking out a dirty cream or warm grey picking out a colour from the lime mortar of the fireplace, or maybe even going a bit darker.

 

[88v8]

A mix of stripped hard and softwood, hmmmm, I think that would look rather odd.
I'd go for a matt or eggshell paint. If you like you can mix them to get the mattness/sheen you want, but in that case you have to keep a careful record of the mix in case you need more...which you certainly will if you don't keep a record

As to the colour, try an area before you do the whole room. Obviously night/day, the effect may differ.

Love the floor. Don't get paint on it.

Ivor

 

[JoceAndChris]

I haven't used the Annie S paint on wood, no. Have used it on walls and it was nice, though no different to FnB really. The very distressed and textured finish in some of the photos in the website is created by using specialist techniques like crackling. Fun, do-able, laborious. There are various books and courses you can do, and I became aware of the Annie Sloan distressed look because an interior designer friend of mine runs courses. However I decided that it's all a bit contrived for my house, especially when you start putting in new wallpaper and new light fittings then deliberately distressed paint looks a bit silly to my eye. Each to their own though, and I'm sure it could look good in the right setting.

I think the traditional highly pigmented paints (Little Greene, Rose of Jericho, FnB, Fired Earth) have a real depth of colour, and blend of different colours within them too, that makes them not flat and boring.

 

[Jellyfire]

Have taken the plunge and ordered some of the chalk paint, wasn't as expensive as I was expecting so thought I'd give it a go.

As to the colour, try an area before you do the whole room. Obviously night/day, the effect may differ.

Love the floor. Don't get paint on it.
Ivor

That would be far too sensible, I usually paint the whole room before deciding I hate it, kind of like an extra undercoat!